Improved foot corn-planter



G. B. ROE.

Hand Seeder.

y Patented Mar. 17. 1863.

lnve'nior.

Witnesses:

0. CDJLY (DSEURNE'S PRUCESS` PATENT OFFICE.

GILES BOLIVAR BOE, -OF PAINES POINT, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED FOOT CORN-PLANTER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,922, dated March 17, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. B. ROE, ot Paines Point, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Foot Corn-Planter; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ot' this specification, in which- Figure l represents a transverse vertical section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation with ret'- erence to the drawings.

The seed-boxAconsists of a tube about three feet six inches long, with a rectangular crosssection of four inches by two and a half, more or less, and it is provided with a handle, B, for the left hand of the operator when plant ing, A spade, O, with lips a, is rigidly attached to the lower end of the seed-box A, and this spade is iliade of sheet-steel and provided with a sharp cutting-edge, so that it enters the ground readily. This spade projects beyond the lower edge ofthe box A, and a shoulder, I), which rises from the side of said box, gages the depth otl planting.

A curved plate, D, which is secured to the inner side of the box A, opposite the spade C, and the lower end ot' which bears against the inner side of the spade near to its bottom edge, prevents the seed from falling out at the bottom end of the box A. A spiral spring, c, keeps the plate D up against the inner side ot' the spade, and a plunger, E, when depressed, forces said plate open and discharges a portion of the seed from the interior of the box.

The plunger E is raised and depressed by the action oi' the operators left foot, which is free to oscillate, and thus it will accommodate itself to the position assumed by the operators foot in walking along with the machine.'

So far as I ain aware, no planter with an oscillating foot-rest has ever before been made. btripsf, of wood or other suitable material, which are rigidlyT secured to the sides of the box, form the guides for the plunger.

To plant with this planter the operator takes a planting-bag with seed, as when planting in the ordinary way, makes his left foot fast on the foot-rest, with his left hand clasps the han die B, with the right hand takes seed from the planting-bag and deposits it in the tube Ajust below B, one hill at a time, andas the plunger is raised the seed falls to the lowest space between the plate D and the plunger E, and by making one step with the left foot a hill is planted, and in like manner -the next. Thus it will be seen that this planter is operated entirely by the action of the foot, and it is obvious that the saine can be used with advantage l'or planting Indian corn, cotton, peas, pumpkins, or any other similar seed. It is very siinple in its construction, and all its parts are so constructed that the saine are not liable to get ont of order.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' Thecombination of thcoscillatingfootboard F with the box A, plunger E, spade O, and plate D, all in the manner herein shown and described. Y

GILES BOLIVAR ROE.

Witnesses:

MlisoN TAYLOR, J AAYE S. TAYLOR. 

